no idea

[birddog]

I found this out on our rock fence in a pile of stuff we moved from outside my Dad's garage years ago.

It's 20 1/8th inch in diameter, made of cast bronze/ brass ?, weighs about 50#s (without the hinged bar on the back) and the hole is 4 3/8th's inch in diameter.


In this photo, this end appears to be for some sort of lock when it's closed.


This end is broken off, but I would guess it was a hinge for swiveling it open and shut.


Just another view. If you look close just to the left of the hinge pin is a riveted tag. The number is; 36010. This is the only marking on it.

 

[Dennis]

:big give up: Interesting, but I have no idea. It does not look like it was used as an airtight seal for anything since I don't see any rubber gasket grooves. Is the hole an inspection hole? Possibly something from a train rail car?

 

[birddog]

Possibly something from a train rail car?

Interesting thought Dennis.

Is the hole an inspection hole?

As to the hole that might be a good possibility. There is no apparent way to fasten anything to cover the hole, so it either is always open or excepts some sort of plug.

There was one possibility that I thought of after my first post, and that is a cover from an industrial size cream separator. I was thinking back when I hauled milk for a living, (if I remember correctly, it's been about 45 years) the discs in the cheese factories separator were about that size.

I did also forget to mention that the cover is coated inside and out with something that is pretty hard. The outside is speckled like some of the old porcelain stuff. If it is porcelain, it's a lot thinner then what you normally would see.

 

[Dennis]

Any breweries up your way?

 

[birddog]

Any breweries up your way?

No Dennis, nothing very close. Leinenkugel in Chippewa Falls about 85 miles, or Point in Stevens Point about 100 miles. That being said, the construction company my Dad worked for had their home office in Stevens Point. So I guess that could be a possibility.